LOCATION INPENDENCE NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Humicryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Inpendence gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed plant material composed of aspen leaves and twigs.
Oe--2 to 4 inches; moderately decomposed plant material.
A1--4 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine to coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
A2--13 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium coarse and common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C1--28 to 44 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick)
C2--44 to 64 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few very thin silt films lining pores; 60 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; on the Humboldt National Forest about 36 miles north of Elko; approximately 2,100 feet north and 700 feet east of the southwest corner of section 25, T. 40 N., R. 53 E.; USGS Mahala Creek West 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 19 minutes 37 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees 57 minutes 44 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist; dry September and October; additional moisture is supplied by lateral water movement in lower control section or substratum; Udic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Base saturation - 10 to 30 percent; highest in the surface layer and decreases with depth.
Umbric epipedon thickness - 17 to 35 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent;
Rock fragments: Averages 40 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with 0 to 15 percent cobbles or stones usually occurring below 20 inches.
Reaction - Very strongly acid to slightly acid; usually remains relatively constant throughout the profile.
A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Weak subangular blocky, occasionally granular in upper part.
Organic matter content: 4 to 7 percent.
A2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Other features: An AC horizon is present in some pedons.
C1 horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Very gravelly loam, extremely gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly sandy loam.
C2 horizon
Other features: In most pedons, pores are lined with very thin silt coats or uncoated sand grains.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family. Potential competitors in the obsolete subgroup of Humic Dystrocryepts are the Buell, Causewa, Hossick, McCall, Meredith, Mirror, Moran, Shakan, and Walcott series.
Buell soils have mean summer soil temperature of more than 47 degrees F. Causewa, Hossick, Mirror, and Shakan soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. McCall soils are dominated by cobbles in the particle-size control section and have base saturation of 40 to 50 percent in the umbric epipedon. Meredith soils are dominated by stones in the particle-size control section and have fragmental material at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Moran soils are dominated by stones in the particle-size control section. Walcott soils have umbric epipedons that are 6 to 15 inches thick with base saturation of 35 to 50 percent.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Inpendence soils are on mountains and plateaus. They typically occur on concave backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium derived from chert, shale, welded tuffs, and quartzite. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 6,600 to 8,500 feet. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches coming mostly from snow. The mean annual temperature is 37 to 43 degrees F. and the frost-free period is 50 to 80 days. Frost may occur in any month at the higher elevations.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gando and Bullump soils. Gando soils are shallow to hard bedrock. Bullump soils have argillic horizons and are deep to hard bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; high surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability (high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Inpendence soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally low growing quaking aspen with an understory of snowberry, mountain brome, slender wheatgrass, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 900 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 25.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, Central Part, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - The zone from the mineral soil surface to 28 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (A2 horizon and parts of the A1 and C1 horizon).
The revision of December 2006 updated the taxonomic class from Humic Dystrocryepts based on the tenth edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 2006.